1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to dataset maintenance in a mainframe operating system environment and more particularly relates to performing semi-automatic dataset maintenance.
2. Description of the Related Art
Mainframe computers are powerful devices used for mission critical software applications. These applications typically generate datasets that store application results. A dataset is a collection of data stored together under a single name. Datasets may reside in volatile memory, or in non-volatile memory such as a disk drive or magnetic tape. Certain software applications can quickly generate numerous related datasets. Typically, each related dataset is named using a convention such that related datasets are easily recognized.
Ongoing use of mainframe applications can generate a large number of datasets. Some datasets contain critical information, such as financial records. However, many datasets do not contain critical information and simply consume storage space.
Managing datasets is an important maintenance function performed by mainframe computer operators. Computer operators regularly manage datasets by performing maintenance actions such as deleting datasets, archiving datasets, deleting archived datasets, recalling datasets from an archive, renaming datasets, and copying datasets. To complete these actions using conventional mainframe operating systems, an operator either manually issues a maintenance command for each dataset to the mainframe operating system, or manually creates a batch file with a maintenance command entry for each dataset.
Due to the large number of datasets created, and the fact that applications often create large sets of related datasets, issuing maintenance commands for a set of related datasets is very time consuming. Issuing the maintenance commands requires numerous keystrokes. Consequently, the process of issuing maintenance commands is prone to error. In addition to the time required to type maintenance commands, operators often need to wait for a period of time after issuing a command before a subsequent command can be issued.
From the foregoing discussion, it should be apparent that a need exists for a method that perform semi-automatic dataset maintenance. Beneficially, such a method would reduce the number of keystrokes required to issue maintenance commands to a mainframe operating system and would consequently eliminate errors. Additionally, such a method would increase efficiency for mainframe computer operators.